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Update: The Khari Noedlinger Case

Khari Noerdlinger appeared before Judge Frances McGrogan yesterday in Bergen County Superior Court for his arraignment on Aggravated Manslaughter and related charges resulting from the death of an individual who, along with four other people, drove down to Edgewater, New Jersey from Rockland County, New York, armed with a baseball bat and other deadly weapons, with the sole purpose of assaulting and robbing Khari.  It was during this attack by these individuals that Khari, knocked to the ground and being kicked, punched and beaten with the deadly weapons, used a knife and in a desperate attempt to save his own life stabbed the individual on top of him in the thigh.  According to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, the individual’s femoral artery was cut which ultimately caused his death. Khari is represented by top New York criminal defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman and a trial is expected in this case – a trial in which Khari’s use of self-defense to save his own life from an attack by multiple, armed, violent gang members will take center stage.

Evidence Reveals Multiple, Violent Attackers Armed With Deadly Weapons

The evidence provided to the defense thus far shows that these individuals from Rockland County who attacked Khari lied to law enforcement about their involvement in the conspiracy, either claiming they had no idea what was the purpose of the trip to Edgewater or lying about their actual roles in the attack.  On top of that, these defendants – charged by the same prosecutor’s office with Armed Robbery in the First Degree, Aggravated Assault and other counts relating to their attack and robbery of Khari – also destroyed evidence in an effort to hinder their prosecution, namely all of the deadly weapons used during the attack.  One of the co-conspirators in the attack on Khari has already indicated a fear of some of the other attackers and a repeated willingness to lie to law enforcement about her role in the events which led to the charges in this case.

The Law of Self-Defense: Khari Was Permitted to Use Force Necessary to Protect Himself from a Deadly Attack

Incredibly, this prosecution of Khari is an attempt to criminalize his desperate attempt to save his own life as he was being beaten with multiple deadly weapons by multiple dangerous attackers with criminal records – including gang members – who showed no sign of letting up until Khari stabbed one of them in the leg.  Only at that point was Khari able to extricate himself from the attack and run to safety. New Jersey law holds that “the use of force upon or toward another person is justifiable when the actor reasonably believes that such force is immediately necessary for the purpose of protecting himself against death or serious bodily harm ….”  N.J.S.A. 2C:3-4(2).  It is clear that Khari, who knew that his attackers were violent, armed gang members, were in the midst of inflicting serious bodily harm on him as he was knocked to the ground and attacked with multiple deadly weapons.  Only at that point was force used to repel the attack.  The injured attacker, stabbed in the leg, limped to a waiting getaway car and later succumbed to his wound which unfortunately cut his femoral artery in his leg.

Call a New York Assault, Manslaughter or Weapons Attorney Today to Discuss Your Case

The parties are due back in court on July 11 to discuss a motion schedule.  If you’d like to discuss your New York or New Jersey assault, manslaughter or weapons case with attorneys with decades of fighting — and winning — serious violent crimes cases, call the Law Offices of Jeffrey Lichtman at (212) 581-1001 today.